A Partnership in Ruins
by Kala Stunt 28
Summary: “You promised this wouldn’t interfere with our work relationship.” She desperately called out after him. He kept his hand on the doorknob and refused to turn around and let her see the tears in his eyes. “I lied.”
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. It's not worth the effort.

Summary: Bones and Booth endanger their partnership by exploring their feelings.

**A Partnership in Ruins...**

"No?" Booth's voice was incredulous as he stared at Dr. Temperance Brennan in disbelief. "What do you mean, no?"

She frowned slightly at him, unsure of what other way her response could have been taken. "I mean no, Booth." She simply answered.

He snarled and began pacing the room. "No? That's it? Just no? No explanation, no reason? Just no?" His voice got louder and louder, revealing how upset he truly was.

Brennan narrowed her eyes. "I don't see why I have to offer you a justification, Booth. I gave you my answer."

"Bones! I just asked you to marry me! To spend your life with me. You can't just say no and expect me to just accept it!" He ranted at her.

"Booth, you know my opinion of marriage. What could have possibly made you think it would have shifted because we've begun a romantic relationship?" Brennan stared at him like she did the remains on her table. She was sure there was an answer, but she had yet to discover it.

"Your opinion about marriage?" He let out a derisive laugh and stomped away from her, throwing his hands in the air, frustrated. "Maybe I thought that you loved me as much as I love you. Maybe I thought that you would want to spend your life with me, like I do. Maybe I thought you wanted to be with me, to share my life. Maybe, just maybe, I thought you loved me enough to not rationalize every freakin' thing in your life and just live." He turned to face her, the hurt obvious in his chocolate eyes. "I guess I just expected too much, huh?" He shook his head, doubting himself.

Brennan winced in sympathy for her lover. "Booth, I do care for you, you know that. I've let you into parts of my life that I've never let anyone see, let alone be involved in. But a relationship isn't going to change my mind about marriage." She looked at him, pensively. "Or children." She hastily added. Might as well have both fights at once, she rationalized. No point in having two huge fights when both can be done at once.

"You don't want to be with me?" The kicked puppy tone entered the agent's voice as he watched her. "You don't want to have my babies?"

"No, Booth. I have never wanted children. And I want to be with you, but on different terms than you want. Right now, you're clearly displaying alpha male tendencies with the desire to dominate and procreate with what you perceive to be your female. I don't want that. I prefer my independence, my own space. And you need your own space as well, especially with your part-time custody of Parker." She reasoned.

He slammed his fist into the wall. "Bones." He sighed heavily, defeated and ignored the remark about his alpha male tendencies again. "I don't know if I can do this anymore. I need a family. A wife, children. Someone to come home to everyday."

"And that's not me." She realized, not rising from the couch. "I'd never be the one someone comes home to, Booth. My work will always be my first priority."

He snorted, "of course it is, Bones. That's all you care about." He shot at her.

"You knew that when we began this." She quietly reminded him, showing remarkable insight for the woman who was usually aloof to social situations.

He looked at her, and saw the truth in her eyes. He nodded to himself, accepting the finality of the situation. "I'll put in for a transfer in the morning." He said and headed for the door.

"You promised this wouldn't interfere with our work relationship." She desperately called out after him.

He kept his hand on the doorknob and refused to turn around and let her see the tears in his eyes. "I lied." With that, he pulled the door open and took off, leaving a distressed forensic anthropologist on the couch of her apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Partnership in Ruins...**

Leaning over to inspect an abnormality on the tibia of the case from limbo, Dr. Brennan was unaware of Booth entering the lab. They had only broken up two days before and hadn't spoken since.

Booth watched his now ex-girlfriend in her element with Zack, and tried to keep his face emotionless. He shook his head, realizing the longer he stood there, the more likely he was to be bothered by the squints. Time to man up and just do what had to be done. He quickly swiped his card and joined Bones on the dais. "We've got a case." He simply stated.

She glanced up and immediately returned her attention to the remains on the table. "I'm in the middle of something, Booth." Her voice was cold and distant, much like when they first started working together.

Booth barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "Obviously. We've got human remains at a national park-shallow grave found by some kids this morning."

Brennan glared at him, clearly annoyed. "Zack, clean the bones after Hodgins retrieves particulates. Let me know if there are any unusual findings." She didn't even listen to Zack's answer before she snapped off her latex gloves and threw them away before storming into her office to retrieve her bag.

"Yeah it's gonna be a real fun day." Booth muttered to himself before sliding his sunglasses on and heading to the car.

Ten minutes later the partners were heading towards the park in silence. "I put in for a transfer." Booth quietly admitted, taking a left turn.

Brennan stared at him incredulously. "Because we've ended our romantic relationship? We're a good team, Booth."

He gripped the steering wheel tighter in frustration. "Are we? We can't even make our relationship last longer than six months."

"Yes, we're a good team. We've caught murderers, identified victims, given closure to families. We've risked our lives for each other. We've killed to protect each other. There is no one else you would trust with your life more than me, and no one I can trust my life with more than you." Brennan protested indignantly.

"I just can't trust you with my heart, right, Bones?" Booth sarcastically shot back, making a right turn.

Gaping at him, Brennan immediately responded. "You chose to end the relationship, Booth." She accused. "I've always been honest with you. You know I don't want marriage or kids and when you pushed, you just confirmed what you already knew."

Booth clenched his jaw to keep from shouting. "So what? You want to just have 'sex for recreation' the rest of your life? Never having kids and experiencing the miracles they are?"

"Yes, Booth. I don't want children. And right there, you just alluded to children being 'miracles', a religious term. I have respected your religious beliefs. I haven't compared Jesus to a zombie or pointed out the factual inaccuracies within the Bible. I haven't told you the facts surrounding your Christian holidays out of respect for you. Why do you mock my beliefs about marriage and children?" Brennan demanded hotly, challenging him to answer.

"Because you're wrong!" He shouted and punched the steering wheel for emphasis. She raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his theatrics.

"Booth, you ignore facts based on blind faith, but you insist that my beliefs based on history, experience and reality are false because they're not yours. You're being unfair." She insisted rationally.

He swerved the car to the side of the road and turned to face her. "No, you know what's unfair, Bones? Knowing that the person you literally trust your life with is your soulmate and they don't want to be with you. What's unfair is that no matter what happens, **you** are never going to let me or anyone else into your heart because you are just too afraid of getting hurt again. Families aren't out to get you, Bones. They're the people you come home to and feel safe with. The ones who love you unconditionally."

Brennan immediately realized something and closed her eyes for a moment. "Then you don't love me."

With a voice of hurt and shock, Booth managed to ask, "What?"

"You don't love me, Booth, because you're the one who put conditions-marriage and children-on our relationship." Brennan smiled at him sadly and moved to get out of the car. "I wish you the best with the transfer, Booth." She climbed out and headed towards the crime scene where a bunch of cops were milling around.

Inside the car, Booth punched the steering wheel again and called after her. "Bones! Bones!" He took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, vowing to himself to talk to her again later, when they were alone again.


	3. Chapter 3

Reviewers-Thank you so much for taking the time to review the story. Your support means a lot. Btw, did the season finale mess with anyone else's mind? Totally ruined my day.

Chapter 3

As it turned out, Booth didn't get a chance to speak with Bones again that day. She had been driven back by another agent while the media detained him. But he'd be damned before he left things like that. She always had to have the last word. Not this time.

Booth angrily strode through the Jeffersonian and ignored the confused Angela and Hodgins as he stormed past. He kept going until he reached Bones' office. He walked in and slammed the door behind him, startling her from her paperwork. "Booth?" She tilted her head, intrigued by his abrupt actions.

"I don't love you?! I don't love you?! Are you kidding me, Bones?" Booth shouted, pacing around the office. Brennan frowned and decided to watch him work out his emotional issues in her office. Maybe it would give her an insight into his thought process. "You really think I don't love you, Bones?" He finally stopped and faced her, his voice laced with pain. "I literally pulled you out when you were buried alive. I've been blown up, beaten up, and shot-all to protect you. I implicated you in a murder trial to clear your father because you asked me to. I threatened a gang leader's life because he put a hit out on you. And you still think I don't love you?"

Brennan pushed her chair back and slowly rose. "I believe that based on your definition of love, the conditions you forced upon me in our romantic relationship prove that you don't. You only care about me in the context of your traditional puritan ideals. Once you realized I wouldn't conform to your beliefs and ideals, you decided to terminate our relationship. I doubt you would have done so if you truly loved me more than your beliefs."

Booth laughed derisively. "I don't love you because I won't compromise my beliefs?! Look who's talking, Bones! You won't even consider compromising any of yours." He slammed his fists down on the desk and stared her in the eyes, frustration obvious on his face. "How can you say I don't love you when you won't let yourself love me?"

Brennan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and they locked gazes. "Booth, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. You're my best friend, my partner, and the only person I've ever trusted implicitly. But I was upfront with you. I told you the day we started dating, and even before, that I would never get married, or want children. I was completely honest, while you tried to push me. You tried to manipulate me into wanting kids, and wanting marriage. You forced me to spend time with Parker to influence my opinion of children. You tried to make me want marriage by constantly touting the benefits."

"Is it really so wrong that I want to marry you? Have kids with you, Bones?" Booth scowled at her.

Brennan frowned back at him. "It is when you know it isn't going to happen. You tried to manipulate me and it will never work, Booth. You think I didn't see what you were doing?"

Booth opened his mouth to reply, but a knock on the office door interrupted him. Cam poked her head in and looked back and forth between them. "Dr. Brennan, your remains just arrived." Cam turned to leave, but changed her mind and turned back. "And the two of you either need to leave or quit arguing. You're disrupting the entire lab." Cam left, leaving the door open to eavesdrop or hopefully stop them from arguing.

Bones stared out at the lab and finally turned towards her now former partner. "Booth, we're not getting anything accomplished. We're never going to agree about any of this. I think we should stop talking about our relationship and get to work."

Booth nodded reluctantly. "Work only, cut our losses. Fine." He answered with a clenched jaw and a forced shrug. "This is our last case together, Bones. Let's make it a good one." Together, they approached the platform, determined to solve the murder of the young woman currently on the table.


	4. Chapter 4

**A Partnership in Ruins...**

Angela frowned as she watched Booth and Brennan fight on the dais of the lab. Hodgins came up behind Angela and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's almost painful to watch this." He murmured.

"Agreed." Cam quietly joined them. "They've been like this all week. They start out arguing about the case or something one of them doesn't agree with, then all hell breaks loose." She turned to the couple. "What do you know?"

Angela was obviously worried as she tried to relax into Hodgins embrace. "I don't know what's going on, Cam. They've never been this bad-even when they hated each other."

They all winced at Booth and Brennan's escalating fighting. Booth threw his arms up in the air and stormed out of the building. Brennan huffed, disposed of her latex gloves and disappeared into her office. "Angela, you're her best friend, you get to try and find out what's up with the Wonder Twins. Hodgins, I need the results from the Marquez case. I'm going to go finish paperwork." Cam turned on her heel and retreated to her office.

Hodgins looked at Angela sympathetically. "Good luck."

Angela snorted and shoved him. With a deep breath, she determinately strode towards Brennan's office. She found her best friend hard at work, typing away at her newest novel. It wasn't due for another four months, but Brennan was near to completion with mot of the writing having happened this week. "Sweetie." Angela called from the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb and looking at her best friend with compassion. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Brennan frowned. "You know I never discuss my books while I'm writing them."

Angela rolled her eyes and strolled in, closing the door behind her. "Not your book, Bren. Whatever happened that made you bury yourself in work and Booth avoid the lab like the plague is being cultivated here." She paused with a grimace, mentally noting to make sure Hodgins wasn't keeping the plague in the lab. "Something obviously happened, Bren."

Temperance nodded, realizing she wasn't going to be able to avoid Angela forever. "Booth and I have terminated our romantic relationship." She simply stated, expecting her best friend to leave now that her question had been answered.

Angela, the biggest cheerleader the couple had was reduced to blinking. "What? Why? What happened?" She finally blurted out.

Brennan saved her progress and turned to Angela. "Our different opinions and desires for our relationship were too vast to overcome."

"More specific, sweetie." Angela sat down opposite her friend. "More human too please. I don't understand when you start your anthropology rants."

"Booth began displaying more alpha male tendencies and asked me to marry him. I refused. He was angry and then we fought about his desire for children and my beliefs against having them. He said he couldn't handle being in this type of relationship any longer and left."

"Wow." Angela whispered to herself. Suddenly everything made sense. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Brennan nodded. "Once my hormone levels regulate again, I'll be fine. Right now, I'm more concerned about the replacement the F.B.I. is going to send us."

"Replacement?!" Angela's eyes widened. "What replacement?"

"Booth requested a transfer. I don't know if he'll be transferring posts or divisions." Temperance considered. "Though with Parker here, I assume he'll transfer divisions. Or maybe just partners."

Cam knocked on the door and poked her head in before Brennan could answer her. "Dr. Brennan, we found something. We need you outside." Cam flashed a hopeful smile at Angela then disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

Angela breathed deeply. "You and I are having dinner tonight and we're going to talk about this." Brennan opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off. "That wasn't a request. No cases, no book. We're going to dinner. You need some quality best friend time to work this out and you're going to get it. We're leaving here by six, be ready." Angela commanded. A frowning Brennan headed towards the platform. Once sure she was out of hearing range, Angela pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed. "Hello? This is Angela Montenegro from the Jeffersonian Institute. We need to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

I tried to get this chapter out as quickly as possible. I'll post another later this week, then I may be gone for a few weeks due to classes. Sorry. I'll do my best to keep up the story.

**A Partnership in Ruins...**

Seeley Booth collapsed on his couch still dressed in his suit slacks and undershirt. He raised the cool beer to his lips and took a much-needed drink. It had been a long and trying day, he admitted to himself. Never before had he been so glad to leave work for the night.

With a weary sigh, he raised his hand holding the remote and flicked the TV on, hoping to catch a game. It was tough dealing with Bones all day. She just never seemed to be as upset about their breakup as he was. Probably blaming any stress on work and endorphin levels, he thought with a snort. No sooner had he fully reclined on the sofa than his apartment door burst open and Rebecca stormed in. "Seeley! What the hell is wrong with you?" His ex ranted as she paced his living room.

Booth blinked at her. "How'd you get in here?" He asked dumbly. Seeing his ex marching around his apartment was too much of a shock.

The blonde stopped dead and turned to face him angrily. "That stupid hide-a-key! It's not fooling anyone! It's just idiotic!" She answered with a frown.

Booth scowled at her. He had heard the same thing from Bones not too long ago. Maybe it was time to find a new place to hide the spare key. "Okay. Rebecca, whatever I did I'm in no mood to hear about it. I haven't seen Parker all week so I couldn't have done anything to piss you off." Booth made to stand, but Rebecca shoved him back down. "Rebecca! What the hell?"

"Seeley, you shut up and you listen to me. That Dr. Brennan is the best thing to happen to you in a long time. She makes you happy. And letting her go is possibly the stupidest thing you've ever done." Rebecca sat down on the coffee table facing him, blocking off any escape route he had.

"But she-" Booth protested but was interrupted by Rebecca's hand covering his mouth.

"I told you to shut up." The blonde gently smiled at him. "Seeley, she's good for you. All Parker can talk about anymore is Dr. Bones and how much fun he had with her and Daddy. Tell me something. Does it really matter to you that she doesn't want to get married? Or have kids? Are marriage and kids really what you want or what you think everyone else-your parents, the F.B.I., society, God-wants for you?"

Booth watched her in shock, listening to everything she said but unable to answer. Rebecca was always judging him for any screw up he had. What was she doing?

Rebecca leaned forward and took the beer from him, placing it out of reach on the coffee table behind her. She grabbed his hand and held it between hers. "Seeley, marriage isn't important. What's important is that you love her. That you want to be with her and build your life with her. You can do that without some piece of paper. And you already have Parker. I know you want more, but ask yourself, which do you want more: Kids? Or the woman you love?" Rebecca kissed him on the cheek and stood, heading for the door. "Think about it, Seeley. You'll regret letting her go."

"Rebecca!" He called after her. She turned to face him, still holding onto the doorknob. "Why are you doing this?"

"We've made each other miserable for far too long, Seeley. I'm finally happy with Drew and you were happy with Dr. Brennan. And Parker was a lot happier while we were both happy. Besides, you deserve to be happy. You're a good man, Seeley. I couldn't ask for a better father for my son. I'm sorry I've threatened to take him away from you. I promise you I will never take him from you." Rebecca smiled at him gently and turned to leave again.

"Rebecca!" Booth called out again, his head held low, emotions overwhelming him. "How'd you know? About all of this between me and Bones?"

"Cullen called me. Apparently you're friend at the Jeffersonian, the artist one, has been hounding him with phone calls. You're lucky to have such good friends." Rebecca opened the door and was halfway through it before Booth answered her.

"I know. And Rebecca? Thanks." Booth sincerely nodded towards her and waited for the door to close. Once sure she was gone, Booth leaned his head back on the sofa and laughed. "My ex telling me to go after the girl. And Angela haunting the Director. Just great."


End file.
